Steamer for removing cream and sterilizing cream cans



June 1929- L. BRAUER ET AL STEAMER FOR REMOVING CREAM AND STERILIZING CREAM CANS Filed July 13, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

we. M @J/ ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 11;- 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BRAUER, RAY TURNER, AND CECIL TURNER, OF PETERSBURG, ILLINOIS.

STEAMER FOR REMOVIN G CREAI AND STERILIZING CREAM CANS.

Application filed July 13,

"Our invention relates to devices adapted to be used in connection with the crea'n'ieryand other commercial stations connected with the business of collecting and preparing cream in shipping cans an object being in this device particularly to provide a means of quickly and conveniently loosening up the cream from the cream can and also sterilizing the cans thoroughly after cream has been emptied from the can.

A further object of ourinvention is to provide a steamer equipped with every necessity fl and convenience for quickly sterilizing cream cans commonly used in shipping cream as well as to satisfactorily sterilize in an entirely sanitary manner other utensils or equipment normally used in the handling of cream.

\Ve attain the objects of our'invention with the device described in the annexed specification, recited in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the figures:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the steamer of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of our steamer.

Fig. 3 is a top view of our steamer.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the booster tube fitting across the central flueof our steamer.

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective showing the manner of detach'ably securing the flush and drain basin to the boiler.

We shall now point outthe construction and manner of operating the steamer of our invention in which we provide an upright boiler 1- having a central upright fine 2 to accommodate the products of com bustion originating from a heating unit -3-- beneath the boiler.

Mounted upon and detachably secured to upright boiler.1- is a flush and drain basin 4 in which shipping cans for cream and the like may be inverted and thoroughly emptied and sterilized by means of steam from the boiler under predetermined pressure optionally released for that purpose when needed.

Flush and drain basin --4 is so mounted on the boiler as to provide a heat chamber -5 between the top of the boiler and the.

slanting bottom -6 of the basin so as to provide a convenient means of heating the bottom surface --6 of the basin. 4

We also provide integral with the basin a 1927. Serial No. 205,302.

centrally disposed upright heat chamber -T communicating with the heat chamber.

Referring to Fig. 1 it may be observed that us 2- extends somewhat above the top surface of the boiler and is encompassed by the lower end of the central heat chamber 7- which extends down into heat chamber 5 thus to enable the flue gases to go up into heat chamber -7- and return down to heat chamber -5 and out through the sides and escapethrough holes 10 of the heatehambcr"5-'-: a

' We provide also a steam pipe 11 connecting with the upper end of the boiler and attached to upright heat chamber 7 through the center thereof soas to permit steam to controllably escape from the outlet 12 of the steam pipe l1. It will be noted that provision is made in the structure of upright heat chamber -7- for avoiding the escape of the products of combustion from the upper end thereof into a cream can.

In order to provide safety when our steamer is in normal use we provide a safety valve -13 for steam to escape at predetermined pressure levels and in order to determine the pressure from time to time when our steamer is in normal operation we provide a steam gage 14. attached to steam pipe -11-. A water gage 19 is attached to the boiler.

We control the release of the steam for cleaning cream cans and sterilizing the same by manipulating valve 15-.

A'detachable support 16 for cream cans 17-- when they are being emptied and sterilized is provided. Whenin normal use support 16 for the cans is saddled across the basin and detachably hooked over its upper edges.

It will therefore be seen that when our steamer is in normal operation a cream can and the like in warm weather may be first emptied. into a receptacle for the cream and then inverted over the steam outlet -12 there to be thoroughly cleaned of all residue cream normally sticking to the side of the can and thoroughly sterilized with the high pressure steam.

Those who are familiar with problems involved in handling and shipping cream will be aware of the difiiculties encountered in releasing cream from the can in the winter time when it is frozen and with our steamer we provide a quick and convenient means of releasing the cream from the cans when it is in that condition. If the cream in the can is frozen the can may be inverted over the steam outlet -12- of tube -11-- and the operator may through valve 15- release steam into the inverted cream can and melt the-cream very quickly and thus quickly empty the can and thoroughly sterilize it in a sanitary manner.

lVe do not wish to be confined in the operation of our steamer to any particular type of heat unit for generating steam but we provide integral with flue -2- a booster tube -18 communicatively connected with the water compartment of the boiler and adapted toprovide a means of speeding up the circulation of the water by having the tube across the flue where it receives a direct hot application of the products of combustion.

\Vhile certain minor changes may be made in the structure of our device and still stay within the spirit and scope or our invention we prefer the arrangement and structure above described and herewith illustrated in the drawings.

Having thus described the nature of our invention what we claim is:

1. A steamer for removing cream and sterilizing cream cans comprising in combination, an upright cylindrical boiler, an upright central tubular flue extending through the boiler, a flush and drain basin detaehably supported on the boiler and provided with a central upright heat chamber communicating with said central flue, means for communicatively connecting the steam chamber of the boiler through the central heat chamber of the basin to the top thereof, and means for cont-reliably releasing steam from the boiler under pressure within said basin, said central flue in the boiler provided with a cross tube extending therethrough on a slant "and communicating with the water chamber in the boiler. 2 A steamer for removing cream and sterilizlng cream cans comprising in combination an upright boiler a flush and drain basin detachably supported thereon; said boiler provided with a centrally disposed upright fl ue to accommodate the products of combustion; said flue provided with a cross tube slantingly supported therethrough and communicatively connected with the water cham ber of the boiler; said flush and drain basin provided with a sloping bottom, a drain spout and a centrally disposed upright cylindrical chamber for heated gases and communicatively connected only with the heating chamber beneath said basin; said boiler connected by a steam pipe communicatively connecting the top portion of the boiler with the central upright heat chamber of the flush and drain basin; and means for controllably releasing steam from the boiler to the flush and drain basin.

In witness whereof we hereunto set our hands this 1st day of March 1927.

LOUIS BRAUER. RAY TURNER. CECIL TURNER. 

